Can You Freeze Fresh Plums? Here’s What You Must Do
Updated on March 2, 2023
There are lots of delicious fruits out there and when you grow them yourself you feel ten times worse when you have to throw out some of them as you don’t get to eat them all. In such times, it’s super cool if you get to freeze some of your fruits, including your fresh plums.
Freezing plums can work great if you want to take advantage of your crop or, if this is your favorite fruit and you bought a bunch of them from the farmers market.
Can You Freeze Plums?
Plums are delicious fresh, they’re great when turned into jam, they’re yummy with various desserts, and so on. One of our readers wanted to make sure that they could freeze up some of their extra plums, so let’s see their message:
I picked some plums off my tree in the yard and would like to freeze them. I know that you can freeze stewed plums, but I don’t really like them that way. I would like to throw some frozen plums in my morning smoothie, or even make a plum tart or pie with them at a later date.
I want to freeze them with the minimum amount of fuss possible, so hopefully you can help me out. I’m worried that freezing them fresh without blanching them first will negatively affect their quality and they will be ruined. Can you freeze fresh plums?
Yes, you can freeze fresh plums. They will lose some of their firmness during the freezing process, but if you’re planning on using them for smoothies or pies, that shouldn’t be a problem. They should still stay firm enough to hold their shape, and as long as they are protected from freezer burn, they should still taste great.
Freezing fresh plums shouldn’t affect their quality or taste. I don’t recommend freezing them with the stone still inside, so although you will have to do a bit of work, I’ll keep the freezing process as simple as possible.
How To Freeze Plums For Later Use?
If you want to freeze your plums, you need to go through a few easy steps to make it work.
- First, only use fresh plums that are firm and ripe. Also, check that the plums do not have blemishes.
- Remove the stem, and cut off any blemished portions.
- Wash the plums and then dry them carefully. Any moisture left on the outside of the plum can cause freezer burn.
- Cut the plums in half and remove the stone. You can then either freeze the plums halved, or dice them into smaller slices.
- Place the halves or the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about a half-hour, or until the plum pieces are hard.
- This will stop the plums from clumping together and losing their shape in the freezer.
- Remove the baking sheet from the freezer and place the plums in freezer bags or in hard freezer-safe containers.
- Remove the excess air and then seal the bags or containers.
- Label and date them. Place the plums in the freezer.
- For best results, use within six months.
How to Keep Plums for Longer?
If you want to make sure that your plums will keep for longer in the freezer, you may want to get a vacuum sealer. These appliances will take out all the air in the bags or containers, ensuring that your plums are sealed perfectly.
In case you don’t know which one to get, we have a bunch of great vacuum sealers on a detailed list. Our favorite is the FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1 Vacuum Sealer Machine which works with both freezer bags and containers of different sizes. It will save you time and money in the long run.
How to Thaw Plums?
When the time comes to thaw your plums, you need to consider what you’re going to use them for:
- For smoothies, frozen plum slices can be used directly from frozen.
- For pies or tarts, thaw the plums first in the fridge and then drain off any excess liquid before using in baked goods.
If you want a cool idea on what to use your plums on, we have this delicious recipe you should try out – the upside down plum oatmeal cake.